Unit Report
Director: Mr Paul Sheehan

• Opening of new library building, on schedule, for the first semester of the 2000-2001 academic year on 25 September 2000.
• Implementation of a new library staff structure, following the first major re-organisation of the library for ten years.
• Formulation of a new library strategic plan.

General Description of Library Activities
The move to the new building was successfully completed by the morning of 25 September 2000. The following year was a period of adjustment. The considerable increase in facilities and services presented operational challenges throughout the year.

A new staff structure was implemented from the beginning of the first semester, with the organisation reporting through three divisions: Information and Public Services, Collection Management Services, and Planning and Administration Services, each headed by a Sub Librarian.

The library began work on a new strategic plan during the year, and it was finalised by the year end. Implementation targets, derived from the plan, were worked to during the year.

The library continued to develop its services, particularly information skills training services. It also continues to develop links with the wider community, and in this regard held the second library literary competition for local adult literacy groups as part of the Northside Learning Festival.

The rising costs of scholarly information, especially in the form of journals and subscription items remains a major concern, as the rate of increase exceeds the resources available.

Main Achievements
A five-fold increase in desktop PCs, and new service points, with innovations such as induction loop facilities, introduced operational challenges. Processes had to be devised for management of new facilities, such as the mentoring suite and collaborative study rooms. Finally, the fabric and physical environment of the building, particularly the fine tuning of the building management system presented challenges throughout the year.

A new staff structure was implemented from the beginning of the first semester, with the organisation reporting through three divisions: Information and Public Services, Collection Management Services, and Planning and Administration Services, each headed by a Sub Librarian.

The library began work on a new strategic plan during the year, and it was finalised by the year end. Implementation targets, derived from the plan, were worked to during the year. Approval of the plan, and its publications, were delayed so that it could be integrated into the university strategic plan, which was being developed concurrently.

Services and facilities
The library continued to develop its services, particularly its Information Skills Training programmes. These can now be delivered in a skills training suite. Over 300 hours training to student groups were provided during the year.

Occupancy of the new library has been high. Workstations were usually taken by early morning and the library had to introduce procedures to ensure their equitable use. Collaborative study rooms have been a great success, and are in almost constant occupation.

The library was in use to its full capacity for much of the year.

Information acquisition
The costs of information are placing heavy pressures on the library budget. In recent years DCU library has spent a higher proportion of its budget on information, that is books, journals etc. and a smaller proportion on staff than any other CHIU library. However, information costs, especially subscription costs, continue to rise at a considerably faster rate (over 10% p.a.) than funding. This is causing marked distortions in the library budget, and will have damaging effects on overall services, and book provision, if it continues.

Collaborative activity with other Irish libraries can, to some extent, diminish the strain on information budgets. DCU library continued to work with colleagues in other Irish libraries during the year, particularly in the area of joint information provision. This year was the first of a new subscription service, Science Direct, under contract between the CHIU libraries and Reed Elsevier.

Projects and Initiatives
The Equinox project was completed on schedule during the year. This EU funded project, in which DCU was a partner, sought to devise a methodology, and software tools, for the performance measurement of electronic elements in the hybrid library. The project received high ratings from the EU assessment panel, and it has produced a software product, which is now being marketed.

The library continued to build links with the local community. To this end it hosted, for the second year, a literary competition as part of the North Dublin Learning Festival. Over 100 entries were received, and an award ceremony was organized in the library. More than 100 guests from North Dublin attended, to hear readings from the contributors, and from DCU writer in residence, Claire Keegan.

Sister Institutions
The integration of Mater Dei Institute of Education library with the DCU Talis library management system was under discussion at the beginning of the year. An integration project plan and schedule was adopted, with a completion date of December 2002. The project began in autumn 2000.

Current arrangements with St. Patrick's College Drumcondra worked well during the year.

Staffing
The library started the year with no senior (Sub Librarian) staff in post, following the earlier promotions of Caroline Brazier and Helen Fallon to appointments in TCD and NUI Maynooth libraries respectively, and the retirement of Clara Cullen. The three simultaneous vacancies were keenly felt, particularly since both Caroline Brazier and Helen Fallon had worked in the library (in one case with interruptions) from the NIHE era, and had made very significant contributions in developing its standards and its culture.

The lack of a senior staff corps caused difficulties with regard to the move to the new library, and the management of normal library activity for much of the year, and the Mater Dei library integration project. Replacement appointments were made during the year: Ellen Breen was appointed to the post of Sub Librarian, Information and Public Services; Geraldine McFeeley was appointed to the post of Sub Librarian, Collection Management Services; and Miriam Corcoran was appointed to the post of Sub Librarian Planning and Administration Services.

The inability to fill vacant posts from March 2001 caused severe strains; the library maintains some of the longest opening hours with the smallest staff numbers of any Irish university. These opening hours facilitate not only the full-time undergraduate population, but also those members of the academic community following other study cycles, including postgraduates, Oscail students, CTYI students etc. Thus the library provides services throughout the year, and not just during the teaching semesters and its staffing requirements reflect this activity. In the circumstances, some summer evening opening had to be provided without services because staff vacancies could not be filled.

Conclusion
The year was in many respects very challenging, but the performance of library staff was again outstanding, as reflected in the opinion survey of students carried out by the Registry, where 89% of respondents rated the library service excellent or very good.

The library was very grateful for support from academic colleagues, and from other service units, particularly the Computer Services Department, during the year.